1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle and can be applied to, for example, a passenger vehicle. The present invention makes it possible to manage electric power consumption so as to secure the electric power necessary to create a travel start possible state by supplying electric power from a power supply isolated from the devices relating to a travel system to a passenger compartment mechanism and/or an entertainment device when the vehicle stops, and further makes it possible to comfortably enjoy music and the like by stopping the vehicle by the provision of a key position at which electric power is supplied only to the passenger compartment mechanism and/or the entertainment device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in vehicles such as passenger vehicles, the electric power obtained from an alternator have been used to charge a battery as well as supplied to respective sections while the vehicles travel, whereas when the vehicles stop, an engine is stared by the electric power stored in the battery and further an entertainment device such as audio equipment is driven by the electric power.
For this purpose, the engine switch of the passenger vehicles is provided with an accessory position at which electric power is supplied to a system such as the audio equipment, power windows, and the like other than a travel system, a position at which an engine is being rotated, a start position at which the engine is started, and the like in this sequence from a position at which a key is inserted and extracted. In the passenger vehicles, a system to which electric power is supplied can be switched by selecting a desired position from the above positions by manipulating the key.
Incidentally, while the known passenger vehicles stop, the audio equipment and the like are driven using the electric power of the battery that is used to start the engine as described above. Thus, the electric power of the battery is greatly consumed by being used a long time, which makes it impossible to start the engine eventually. When it is intended to prevent this disadvantage in the known passenger vehicles, a problem is arisen in that music and the like cannot be comfortably enjoyed by stopping the vehicles.
The method disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 9-275635 as a method of solving the above problem proposes a method of supplying electric power for starting an engine from a main battery and supplying electric power to audio equipment and the like from an auxiliary battery provided separately.
In this method, the engine can be started by the main battery, even if the auxiliary battery has been consumed. However, it is difficult to supply electric power to a device such as an air conditioner that consumes a large amount of electric power for a sufficient period of time, thereby a problem arises in that music and the like cannot be comfortably enjoyed eventually by stopping a vehicle.
An object of the present invention, which was made in view of the above problems, is to propose a vehicle that permits to comfortably enjoy music and the like by stopping the vehicle.
To solve the above problem, in a first aspect of the present invention applied to a vehicle, the vehicle is composed of a passenger compartment mechanism for cooling and/or heating a passenger compartment, and a power supply isolated from the devices relating to a travel system for supplying electric power to the passenger compartment mechanism when the vehicle stops.
In a second aspect of the present invention applied to a vehicle, the vehicle is composed of a power supply isolated from the devices relating to a travel system for supplying electric power to an entertainment device for providing entertainment in a passenger compartment when the vehicle stops.
In a seventh aspect of the present invention applied to a vehicle, the vehicle is composed of an electric power management means for managing the electric power consumed in a battery such that the electric power stored in the battery does not become equal to or less than the electric power necessary to create the travel start possible state when the vehicle stops.
Further, in a tenth aspect of the present invention applied to a vehicle in which subjects to which electric power is supplied are changed according to a key position of a key manipulated by being turned, the vehicle has a key position at which electric power is supplied only to a passenger compartment mechanism for cooling and/or heating a passenger compartment and/or to an entertainment device for providing entertainment in the passenger compartment.
According to the arrangement of the first aspect, the power supply isolated from the devices relating to the vehicle travel system is provided to supply electric power to the passenger compartment mechanism when the vehicle stops. Thus, even if the power supply has been exhausted, no influence is exerted on the vehicle travel system at all. With this arrangement, it is possible to enjoy music and the like by creating a comfortable environment without concern for electric power consumption.
In the second aspect of the present invention applied to the vehicle, the power supply isolated from the devices relating to the vehicle travel system is provided to supply electric power to the entertainment device for providing entertainment in the passenger compartment when the vehicle stops. Thus, even if the power supply has been exhausted, no influence is exerted on the vehicle travel system at all. With this arrangement, it is possible to comfortably enjoy music and the like without concern for electric power consumption.
In the seventh aspect of the present invention applied to the vehicle, music and the like can be comfortably enjoyed without concern with the amount of electric power remaining in the battery by providing the electric power management means for managing the consumption of electric power of the battery such that the electric power stored in the battery does not become equal to or less than the electric power necessary to create the travel start possible state when the vehicle stops.
Further, in the tenth aspect of the present invention applied to the vehicle in which the subjects to which electric power is supplied are changed according to a key position of the key manipulated by being turned, a key position can be selected by manipulating the key similarly to a conventional manner by providing the key position at which electric power is supplied only to the passenger compartment mechanism for cooling and/or heating the passenger compartment and/or to the entertainment device for providing entertainment in the passenger compartment. With this arrangement, music and the like can be comfortably enjoyed more user-friendly.